"When all is annihilated and wonders severed, only then are origin and trace revealed. If one knows not death, how can one speak of life! I go!"
"Hua, even if you shout your lines that coolly..."
"Mm. It somehow feels kind of weird instead."
Seeing Fu Hua already transformed into her destruction phoenix humanoid form, everyone immediately began roasting her. She had only gone over to talk for a bit, yet Fu Hua had actually activated Artificial Cascade.
"..."
Fu Hua rolled her eyes at the group and could not be bothered to speak. What was wrong with being cautious when facing the Herrscher of Finality?
Otherwise, you-can-you-up!
She then took a deep breath and walked toward the sofa. At this moment, Elias, Finality, and Jyahnar were seated together.
Unlike the Herrscher of the Sea, who practically wanted to glue herself onto him, the Herrscher of Finality was comparatively restrained.
But right now, she was like a dragon sovereign guarding treasure. Elias was her treasure. This Goddess of Honkai radiated an aura that forbade any other woman from approaching.
"Ahem... could we talk for a moment?"
Fu Hua asked, feeling rather nervous inside.
"Hm? I have no interest. Do not come near me."
The Herrscher of Finality spoke indifferently. Still, the fact that she did not immediately unleash her Authority and attack made Fu Hua secretly sigh in relief.
Although Finality had decided to examine this civilization before judging whether it needed to be destroyed, at present the only one in the world capable of drawing her attention was Elias alone.
Unlike a certain spring spirit from a game, this Goddess of Honkai possessed overwhelming dignity. Even while wearing a maid outfit and obediently following Elias' commands, once that strangers-keep-away aura was released, not even a bird would dare come within fifty meters of her.
"Hey... try being a little more sociable."
Elias said helplessly.
Then he lightly chopped the Goddess of Honkai on the head with one hand. She glared at him in response, but after Elias used a head-pat finisher, she immediately revealed an expression of that's more like it.
(Elias: She's seriously way too easy to handle...)
"Hmph. I have no interest in insects."
"But I used to be an ordinary person too... an insect."
"Elias, you are different. I will not permit you to belittle yourself so. You are Finality's destined rival."
The Herrscher of Finality declared with incomparable dominance. She regarded Elias as the only being in the world equal to herself.
Now if anyone insulted Elias, Finality's judgment would descend faster than anyone else's.
Meanwhile, Fu Hua had a rare moment of cleverness.
Since dealing with the Herrscher of Finality directly was impossible, then dealing with Elias would work too. As long as he was willing to spend more time with them, the problem would be solved just the same.
(Fu Hua: Wait... does that really include me? Uh... in the end, should I hurry and confess already? But... no rush. Slowly. Steady. Maybe... perhaps... now still isn't the right time.)
After hearing Fu Hua's hesitant inner thoughts through his Authority, Elias could only laugh helplessly.
This flat immortal was terrifyingly fierce in battle, yet when it came to love, she was even more timid than Pardofelis.
"Sorry, Hua. Lately I may not have time to stay with you all," Elias said first.
"Eh? Elias, why are you... uh, no, I mean, although the Herrscher of Finality and the Herrscher of the Sea are dangerous, since you've already acknowledged them, there is no need to stay with them all day long. You should occasionally spend time with me... I mean us too."
Fu Hua currently looked like a little wife neglected by her husband, pitiful and aggrieved.
The women nearby could not help sighing. Good thing this blockhead was too shy to confess. Otherwise, she would actually be quite a threat. The immortal's beauty was no worse than anyone else's... aside from the barrenness before her chest, a wound carved in by fifty thousand years.
"Sorry, Hua. Recently I've been trying to see whether I can conquer Finality. This matter is rather urgent right now."
"Co-conquer Finality? You mean that kind of conquer? I mean..."
"Mm, that's right. Exactly what you're thinking. I'm trying to make this girl fall in love with me."
Elias admitted it without hesitation, dropping another explosive revelation onto everyone present. He was openly declaring that he intended to make the Herrscher of Finality fall for him. Was he really not hiding it at all?
"Hmph. You want me to fall in love with you? What absurd wishful thinking. In the end, I do not even know what love is. Elias, tell me what it means."
The Herrscher of Finality crossed her arms and spoke proudly.
"Love is love. It can only be called love. When the time comes, you'll understand."
Elias stroked her head with one hand while his other arm intimately wrapped around the slender waist of the Goddess of Honkai. She offered no resistance and allowed him to do as he pleased.
After all, their total kissing time had already exceeded ten hours. Even if they had not yet developed into that kind of relationship, this level of physical contact did not disgust the Herrscher of Finality.
Fu Hua and the others were deeply shaken.
Elias had directly admitted he was pursuing Finality.
Of course they knew the reason. He hoped to use emotion as a limiter upon this Goddess of Honkai.
"As long as I can make you love me the way Mei and the others do, then I can definitely make you completely abandon the destruction of humanity. At that point, I'll finally be at ease."
"In a sense, my motives are impure. But there are times when one cannot stubbornly cling to aesthetics. This is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good."
Elias' face was filled with righteous conviction. There was not the slightest trace of lust visible upon it. He seemed so upright and honorable that one could not help admiring him.
"Wuwu! Th-then there really is no helping it."
"Damn it... it's all because we're too weak."
"Elias, what are we even supposed to say to that?"
The girls were inexplicably touched. His reason was far too legitimate. Seducing a girl for the sake of protecting the world? But honestly... there really did not seem to be any better method.
Ah... our poor Elias has sacrificed so much for this world. He actually has to offer himself to feed a tiger. Damn it, we're so jealous of this Herrscher of Finality.
"Don't worry. I have always been fair. In order to make you fall in love with me, I will first fall in love with you."
Elias stared at the Goddess of Honkai before him.
"Hmph! If you can do it, then try. I am not one of those easy women to conquer."
The Herrscher of Finality declared with absolute confidence.
Only the weak are bound by emotion. What she pursued was merely fighting Elias endlessly. As for falling in love with him...
The Herrscher of Finality's response was simple: What is love? Don't understand.
...Thus, one week later...
"Elias, go on a date with me today. Otherwise, I will destroy the world."
Miss Herrscher of Finality issued her threat arrogantly.
At this moment, she wore an exquisite white dress, high heels, a white wide-brimmed hat on her head, and carried a lady's handbag. This pure and elegant outfit softened the untouchable majesty of the Goddess of Honkai by several degrees.
Clearly, in the end, she had still fallen to the true fragrance.
"..." xN
The girls looked speechlessly at the Herrscher of Finality, thinking that the mighty Goddess of Honkai was only this much? She had not held out any longer than they once did. Still, none of them were surprised. After all, who in this world could resist their boyfriend's charm?
Not even a god.
Especially when that god had gained humanity.
"Alright, alright~ I'll be right there. Sigh, I wonder who it was a few days ago that looked so unwilling."
Looking at the Herrscher of Finality before him, whose affection level had probably already broken into the thousands or tens of thousands, Elias felt that her willingness to give herself away might have even surpassed Elysia back then.
But perhaps that was only natural.
Throughout the endlessly long life she had lived until now, so long that even the Herrscher of Finality herself no longer knew how much time had passed.
The only thing she had ever done was fulfill the mission granted by Honkai, again and again bringing cyclical resets upon planets.
In such a vast divine life, this Goddess of Honkai had never even seen a flower, never slurped a cup of instant noodles. Otherwise, she would not have believed battling Elias was the ultimate pleasure, because she had never experienced any other kind of beauty.
But now...
Elias had opened the door to a new world for the Herrscher of Finality.
He dragged this lofty goddess into the mortal world and let her experience all of humanity's joys. As a result, the Herrscher of Finality, who had once dismissed such things with contempt, fell completely on the very first day of their date.
This world was far more colorful than she had imagined. The cold sweetness of ice cream, the beauty and sparkle of dresses and jewelry, the elegance and grandeur of natural scenery.
What the Herrscher of Finality lacked was only a chance to understand the world. Once given that chance, she came to love it just as Elysia once had.
Elias had merely repeated what he did in the past, making himself the opportunity through which this Goddess of Honkai could come to love the world. In doing so, he easily won Finality's heart.
"If you were still that cold and merciless god from before, one who only knew how to fulfill Honkai's mission, then even if I showed you all the beauty in this world, it probably would have changed nothing."
"But since you possess humanity now, you will naturally be moved by the human world. That is why I wanted you to understand human civilization... because once you understood it, you were bound to fall in love with the world just like a certain pink elf."
Inside the café, Elias smiled as he watched the Herrscher of Finality delicately eat dessert in small bites. His conquest plan was proceeding far more smoothly than expected.
"Hmph... fine. I admit human civilization is not bad."
The Herrscher of Finality looked at the skyscrapers around them.
If Honkai ordered her to destroy this world now, merely imagining it already filled her with reluctance.
Even she herself was surprised by how much she had changed. Looking at the white-haired boy before her, the Herrscher of Finality felt her affection rising rapidly.
The more she liked this world, the more she liked Elias, the one who had shown it to her. All the billions of years of her past combined were less wonderful than the brief time she had spent with him.
The Herrscher of Finality even had the strange feeling that her former self had wasted all those years.
"I'm glad you like it."
"But if the Cocoon of Finality orders me to reset civilization again, I do not know whether I can defy that command. After all, that is the meaning of my existence."
The Herrscher of Finality looked up at the sunlit moon in the sky and spoke with hesitation and conflict. After all, it had been a job lasting billions of years. Asking her to resign so suddenly was not easy.
Elias curved his lips. Even this much was already enough. He had made the Herrscher of Finality doubt and waver regarding her own mission. That alone was a great feat no one in history had accomplished.
"It's alright. The Cocoon of Finality will never order you to destroy civilization again. In this era, I will completely bring the war between humanity and Honkai to an end."
"And when that day comes, I hope you can begin a new life as a human, searching for the meaning of your own life. Sounds like quite the grand adventure, doesn't it?"
Elias painted a beautiful future. The Herrscher of Finality listened blankly, feeling her heart stir for no clear reason.
"Like that Origin girl?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"...Indeed, nothing. But when the time comes, Elias, you must remain by my side. Because though I am still a god now, if one day I become human, it will certainly be because of you... and when that happens, you must take responsibility."
The Herrscher of Finality speared the last piece of cake on her plate with a fork, copying the actions of the couple at the next table as she brought it to Elias' lips.
"Of course, my goddess."
Elias smiled and took a bite of the cake, but accidentally got cream on the corner of his lips. In the next second, the Goddess of Honkai stood, pinched his chin, and kissed it away directly.
"Uh... you understand what that action means now, right?"
"Hmph! Because of a certain someone before, I thought it was some kind of attack technique. Who knew..."
The Herrscher of Finality's cheeks reddened slightly. Only recently had she learned the meaning of kissing. At first, she had assumed it was some sort of spiritual attack method, and she glared at Elias.
He had taken all the advantage for himself.
But... because you are Elias, you are forgiven.
"Even so, you don't dislike it, right?"
Elias touched the corner of his lips. The lingering softness there was unforgettable. Both of them were becoming addicted to it. Slowly, he pulled the goddess before him into his arms.
"What now? Do you wish to commit the sin of blasphemy again?"
"Why not? It's hardly the first or second time."
"Easy for you to say. For that, you even used up the last remnant of my former power... the power of Finality."
"Couldn't be helped. Otherwise, I couldn't break your defense."
Elias shrugged and said with a bitter smile, though he was also a little proud. Without the power of Finality, ordinary people could not even dream of sullying the purity of this Goddess of Honkai.
Fortunately, he had retained the power of one final strike back then. Otherwise, that day Elias truly would have embarrassed himself terribly.
And he had discovered one very convenient fact: battling the Herrscher of Finality... could happen anytime, anywhere.
"Then come. You who blaspheme the divine."
The Herrscher of Finality activated her Authority, and in an instant, time across the entire Earth came to a halt. This way, no one could disturb them.
She licked her alluring crimson lips, while flames of desire ignited within her golden eyes.
"Honestly... every time you make such a huge spectacle of it."
Looking at the gray world that had completely frozen, Elias could only laugh helplessly. Though he might not be qualified to say it, still...
Finality, are you really sure it's okay to use the Authority of Time for this kind of thing?
Even Honkai would cry.